Bold Gestures

If it was just folk or just catchy pop or just blues rock, I wouldn’t dig them so much. The seamless blend and mastery of all of that and really sensational song writing means I do. I couldn’t have one without the other after hearing the incredible music this married duo have been creating….and witnessing how it all goes down on stage.

After kicking off the show with previous album O’ Be Joyful standouts “Birmingham” and “O’ Be Joyful”, they launched into new song “Swimmin’ Time”, whose title sounds light but is a dark brooding tune, and they passionately nailed it. Most of the new album was played including awesome blues rockers “Stono River Blues” and “Evil”, bouncy fun rock numbers “Coping Mechanism” and “Fish Assassin”, and the gorgeous “The Devil is All Around”. Both Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent can bark intense lines and soothe you with gorgeous voices equally as well, often in the same song. Their call and response passages and accompanying harmonies are a thing to be seen as well as heard. This was true of the entire show. New album Swimmin’ Time is an almost perfect offering, but these songs really come alive on stage. How there is so much sound being created is beyond me, especially when only two artists are trading off between several instruments. Yes, I see the kick drum and hi-hats center stage, but I know that playing guitar at the same time is not even remotely easy to do. Nor is when Cary Ann is playing drums, keys, tambourine, and shaker simultaneously. Oh, and now the roles have switched and she is ripping up on electric guitar. And it is obvious that Trent resolutely holds back the guitarist he could excessively be. Really awesome talent being displayed at the buzzing theatre this night.

They were both very chatty with the crowd and obviously humbly thrilled with the turnout and energy at their biggest headlining Chicago show yet. Cary Ann said something along the lines of “wow look at all of you and this beautiful place. Ain’t we fancy now.” After Michael said “We are Shovels and Rope” for the second time, she replied “why do you keep saying that? They paid to come….they know who we are. Don’t be weird.” Which of course led him to say it a couple more times later with a sideways sly glance in teasing fashion. Closing out the first set were my two favorite tunes from the previous album: “Shank Hill St.” and “Cavalier”, with the former being particularly intense and loud. The tension was tangible and the artists’ sweat poured on their abused, swaying gear. Encore was lengthy and contained folk ditty “Mary Ann & One Eyed Dan”. Smiles and cheers were in abundance.

Shovels & Rope are as much about broken strings and brash spontaneity as supreme musicianship and note-perfect beauty.  I feel elated and energized afterwards, and the performance this night proved again that they are as dynamic and fun a show as you’ll find.